Ichidou
by shinigami cloudiko
Summary: UPDATED! Things are less confusing, I promise! Usagi contracts a deadly disease...leaving her vunerable to attack by the Enemy. Chapter 5 is now up!
1. Numbing the Senses

Hello! This fanfic is my first, so here goes some explanation… 

   Ichidou is the first story in a set of five. As of right now, only the first two are done. If I'm lucky I'll have this entire story up by the end of the year. Some of you may remember that this story has been posted before…but after about a month or so of having it posted, I noticed that there were some parts that really didn't connect to the rest of the story, that there were phrases that made no sense to even me – the author. And I wrote the damn thing!! Maybe this version will be better than the old one. Who knows? 

  If you want to make my day, email me @ silverphoenix727@msn.com! I'm a nice person, so you'll always get a message back!

**DISCLAIMER: **By all means, I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the other characters. I'm really poor so you can't sue me anyway… the most I have is a pocket full of loose change- including a few shinny quarters if that catches your interest. Oh well. 

____________________________________

" Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. 

Only through experiences of trial and suffering can it be strengthened, 

Vision cleared, and success achieved." 

Ichidou 

Chapter One: Numbing the Senses

  "Iie!" 

  Helpless and unable to move, the black hand came to crush her throat. The hand's cold fingers grasped her neck with an unmatchable force, thus making breathing a laborious affair. No one had heard the girl's cry – only the shadows heard her desperate call for help. " You are a fool, Kumiko," the shadows taunted her as she struggled for air. " A fool for saving me the first time. Now nothing can save you… not even your pure heart!" 

  The sounds of inane laughter echoed through the dark cavern. Without warning, another hand reached through the darkness and pressed through Usagi's chest. Pain stabbed her entire body, throttled her every emotion. The hand caroused inside of her breast, the crimson blood of innocence running down the evil being's wrist and into the shadows. Usagi realized in horror that the being was planning to rip her heart from her…

  "World Shaking!" 

  "Deep Submerge!" 

  A gold ball of energy and a pale blue ball of water threw themselves through the black shadows. Both passed the girl, instead seemingly striking the dark figure holding her captive. The shadowlike being merely laughed. Ripping its hand from Usagi's breast as the beams roared toward it, the pure evil force raised that hand and blasted the attacks back to their owners. 

  Even though Usagi herself was in pain, she felt the anguish of the attackers as they were ripped apart by their own abilities. The combination of this anguish and her own pain caused the girl's whole body to shake. 

  With a cruel smile the dark force returned to face the shaking mass in its arms. Wordlessly and without hesitation, the evil being ripped Tsukino Usagi's heart from her chest. Usagi cried out in endless agony. Pain burnt like a fiery inferno inside her and numbed all senses she had left to use. Even through the darkness the girl could make out a familiar shape…the shape of her heart- bloodied and still pulsing – in the now crimson colored hand. 

  "Farewell Princess…" 

  "You will never win…" gasped the injured girl. "By killing me you've signed your de-" 

  "Enough!" the voice roared. And this was when Usagi saw her captor's face. Through a dim light somewhere from above.

  "Dear God…" 

  The familiar face leaned in with a reek of death, pestilence, fear. Hate seeped from her eyes beaming down upon Usagi's pain wracked face. "There is no escape from me, Sailor Moon. Your one kindness will come back forever to haunt you." The face was now only inches away and so close that her long, snakelike tongue could touch Usagi's face. " It will haunt you as I destroy everyone you have ever loved and known – as well as those you loathed." 

  "Sailor Moon!" a new voice cried out.

  "No!" another voice shouted, surprised.

  "Get away!" Usagi managed to yell back. Blood ran from her lips as she shouted, began to pulse from the wound in her chest. 

  "Silence!" bellowed the beholder of her heart. Both voices now only gave cries of massive pain. Their cries reached out to Usagi, burning a hole into her memory. 

  "You – you killed them!" The chokehold tightened. The girl gasped for air as crimson seeped from her nose and mouth. "Help…" she practically begged. "Someone…"  

  "Your friends are dead," stated the cruel voice of the shadows. Through the dark, the smile grew to become a wide smirk. " Each was killed with my bare hands as you suffer here." 

  Images filled the head of the senshi of the moon. She saw the four inner senshi…all killed in a different way. One stabbed with a scythe blade in the heart. Another's neck had been snapped…she saw the broken body of Mars; smashed with the force of a train. And Venus – her body was bound then burnt to a crisp. Usagi vowed then and there that these images would never be forgiven. Even as she descended into the depths of hell. Yet then she saw Tuxedo Kamen…

  His memories were gone- but Mamoru was still alive. 

  When her eyes opened, Mamoru stood before her. He wore a suit of obsidian black armor and held a broad sward in his right hand; point to the ground. Mamoru's cobalt eyes met Usagi's own and he gave her a dirty look. Sheathing the sward, Mamoru came to her. 

  "Hello Kumiko," he said coolly, his voice airy. "So this is the end…your friends are dead, the eternal darkness ready to rise and consume the earth… after eternities of fighting you." 

  "Who are you?" disbelief caused Usagi to ask. She prayed internally that he at least knew his name.

  "I am whomever you hate the most, Sailor Moon," came his reply. "Who I am means nothing, says nothing, and will change nothing."

  "She has corrupted you," Usagi muttered, the blood streaming from her wounds. "Mamoru…" Blood dripped from her lips as she continued to try to speak. "Please…you've got to remember…" 

  "There is nothing to remember," Mamoru shot back. "Your death will cause you to never remember a thing. You will be free from this misery- as you've always wanted." 

  Usagi tried once more to reply, but the blood prevented her from doing so. Pain rattled the girl's body and caused her to wonder why she hadn't died yet. Her beloved looked up again into her eyes. He reached up and wiped the blood from the corners of her mouth. She shivered at the feel of Mamoru's touch – once sweet and loving – but now cruel and cold. With his other hand, Mamoru touched the wound where the evil hand had stolen her heart. Usagi cried out in unimaginable pain as he withdrew his fingers covered in her blood. 

  To her surprise, he reached up with the bloodied hand to touch her face. His lips soon met her own in a tender kiss. His evil seemed to be flowing into Usagi, finally putting her entire body to sleep. For a few moments she felt peace; as if she were in her beloved's arms again for the first time. But the feeling passed. 

As her eyes opened from the kiss, Usagi noticed that he wasn't done with her yet. Mamoru's palm still lie against her cheek. It was as if he couldn't let her go…

  "I …thought…you…hate me…" 

  The only one Usagi had ever loved leaned in again toward her, his eyes filled with an unidentified emotion. "It's a pity…" 

  Shaking the feeling away, Mamoru wiped the blood from the girl's lips and kissed her again. "Farewell Kumiko," he whispered icily. "Now the end will begin…" 

_____________________

  "Oh my God!" 

  Without realizing it, Usagi shot straight out of bed. The taste of blood was fresh in her mouth as she tried to immediately suppress what she had just envisioned. As her eyes adjusted to the light filtering through the window, she noticed blood on her sheets and pillow. _Wait…_she thought. _Was that real? What happened…? _

  "Usagi!" someone practically shouted in the girl's face. It took Usagi a few moments to recognize the voice. _It belongs to Rei_, she realized. Rei was alive and grasping the girl's arm…or else Usagi would have been standing on her bed. 

  "You had another nightmare," Makoto told her. The longtime friend of Usagi's watched as the girl tried to get up. Fortunately, Rei still held her arm. "Usagi, you should get some rest. Rei and I will clean this up," she added. 

  "Iie," protested Usagi. She was barely audible from her throat being twisted up, from that feeling of being choked. "You don't have to take care of me." Once more, in a futile attempt to get up, Rei had to shove her friend back.

  "Get some rest," Rei repeated. "You need it."

  "I feel better…honestly." 

  "Shut up," snapped the raven-haired girl. "Usagi, you were always a horrible liar." 

  Yet as the girl was pushed back against her pillow for the last time, she offered no resistance. Usagi felt the coldness of her sheets being wrapped around her and once again fell to a feverish nightmare…

_________________________

  A mirror lie in the darkness bearing no reflection. 

  Sailor Moon sat before the mirror, the mist swirling around her feet and hiding them from the world. For some reason, Usagi's fingertip reached out to touch the sheet-smooth glass. 

  "Hello Sailor Moon," came a voice from the vapors. "Welcome to my world." 

  In surprise, she jumped. "Who are you?" Her long blonde hair blew into her face, impairing the ability to see in any direction. "What do you want?"

  "You wonder of the mirror, don't you?" wondered the voice. It sounded warm, friendly. 

  A little girl walked toward the senshi of the moon, dressed in a school uniform. She had just appeared…out of nowhere. The girl had a smug smile on her face, proving that she knew exactly what the hell was going on. Usagi's gaze drifted to the mirror before her – and gasped. It now had a reflection…one that sent a chill down Sailor Moon's spine. 

  The girl smiled. "This is your future, Usagi." 

  Sailor Moon gazed a bit closer and looked confused. This image was she?! Her future…

  "You will become this image and ally under me," the girl said. Her voice was soothing as she added, " And help me destroy the Sailor Senshi." 

  Destroy… the word echoed through Usagi's mind. She saw each of the senshi flash before her…they were her friends… 

  "Never," came the senshi of the moon's reply. 

  "Your friends will die if you do not agree. I am offering to save their lives." 

  "Do you think your mind-bending crap would work on me?" demanded Usagi. Her gaze shifted back to the schoolgirl. "One moment you threaten to kill, the next you plot to save." 

  The schoolgirl's smirk grew to a wide smile of hatred. "Think of it this way, Sailor: You join us and your beloved friends don't have to die. Besides, the world you love would be safe from all dangers."

  Usagi smiled as well as the breeze died. "You my enemy are full of crap." 

  The child laughed at the outburst. "Touch the glass Usagi. It will not harm you." 

  Usagi didn't reply at first, her gaze again on the mirror. A moment later, she turned away in anger. "I refuse." 

  The child only laughed again. "Refusal or not Sailor Moon, you are now under my control." 

  The glass in the mirror suddenly reached out and grasped Usagi's arm! She tried to shake it off, but wasn't strong enough. The liquid glass pierced Sailor Moon's veins and slowly began injecting itself into her bloodstream. "NO!" cried Usagi. Her cry didn't stop the glass… it was alive and attacking the senses. A rare sight to see, the senshi of the moon was rendered helpless in her own nightmare. 

  "You are mine now," gloated the evil child. "Your soul and power now belong to me!" 

  "I will never join you!" Usagi shouted back. "No matter what means you use!" 

  "You will change your mind in good time, Sailor," the schoolgirl shot back. "You will change your mind when you see what destruction will rain upon Tokyo and the earth…when those you love begin to die. My existence is to only make you miserable, Tsukino Usagi. And if you think this will be a fight like any other, you are mistaken… for the real fight is now going to begin!"  

  The glass made its final mark on Usagi's skin: a red star etched into the area where her collarbones met. Still the girl laughed as Usagi tried to free herself within the last few moments. 

  "Not even your birthright could save you. You now belong to me, Sailor Moon!" 

__________*___________*_______________**

**PLEASE READ: (!!!!!!)**

This chapter is only slightly important to fully understand; in that it sets up most – if not all – of the following chapters. Since this is now draft number five, I feel as if I owe you an explanation of both the dreams Usagi had. *takes a deep breath* So here goes: 

The first dream at the beginning of the chapter is…uh… more gruesome than I originally intended. In this case, the gore was there to convey a message, and partly there because I felt like it. 

Anyway… 

Obviously, the two attempted shots to destroy the 'shadowlike being' came from Uranus and Neptune – but Usagi has no clue who they are yet. (And I stress yet several times.) She just yells at the two to get away, uncaring if they were senshi or not.

The whole thing with ripping Usagi's heart out holds the most symbolism out of both dreams and the entire chapter. I guess it may not click until you read the other four books, but I'll let you in on a little secret: by ripping out Usagi's heart, it ties into direct relation with the Pure Heart Crystals… and how no person can live without it once it is taken. 

I hope I didn't give too much away right there… because I think you might have figured out who the 'shadowlike being' is. It's fairly obvious, ne? If not, you'll enjoy trying to figure that one out over the time it takes to fix the next chapter or two… It could be a while, I'm warning you. 

Hate this new draft? Want to send me your guesses as to who the 'shadowlike being' could be? Feel free…just don't forget to review after this. After all, any response is better in helping the whole story become better than it was! And don't forget – emails are worth their weight in gold, so feel free to contact me directly. (silverphoenix727@msn.com) 

Until the next chapter, ja! 

                                -Yuki  


	2. The Pain of Betrayal

Author's notes are at the end of the chapter…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*~*~*~*

Ichidou - Chapter Two: 

"The Heartache of Betrayal"

*~*~*~*

" The endless pain of betrayal cannot be healed over time, my child. 

It is, in itself the ultimate torture to a person's soul."

*`*`

"What?"

"Usagi has been out for almost two whole months, Makoto," repeated Rei. "Whatever in the hell she has, it obviously isn't any natural virus."

"But Rei…" came Makoto's protest over the telephone, " She was fine a week ago when she woke up for the second time. Remember that? She wanted to get up to help us clean up all of that blood."

Memories of that event became vivid in front of the raven-haired priestess' mind. Usagi had practically leapt out of bed from another one of her reoccurring nightmares. The girl seemed more drained than before, yet Usagi still wanted to help clean up. Rei had shoved her back into bed…for her friend had been so ill then. 

"It was odd," Rei agreed. "She had been sick before, then became worse, but now…" 

"Far worse than before," Makoto finished. "Odd…"

"Not natural," came Rei's protest. "There is something wrong here Makoto. Whither you see it or not." 

A sigh came over the line. "I can guess."

"The friends of the Dark Kingdom," said Rei bluntly.

"Damn," Makoto replied. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(6 days later) 

"Stay in bed, Tsukino-chan."

"Nani?!" Usagi cried in surprise. "What about my friends and having fun?"

"You are still very sick Usagi," the doctor told the blonde. "Trust me, you don't want to lose your life to this."

"It's not like it's the end of the world," said Ikuko. Her face looked pale and drawn, her eyes tired.

"Fine." 

"I'm glad that's settled," muttered the doctor. "Under no circumstances are you to go anywhere…until I figure out what you're dealing with exactly." He checked his watch and bowed to 

both mother and daughter. "I am sorry for having to cut this visit so short, but I must go." 

The doctor was an old man, his bows stiff and formal – but crooked from age. Usagi's urge to laugh was stifled by a dirty look from Ikuko. It clearly disapproved of Usagi's disrespect. 

The sick girl sighed as the two left the room, their footsteps audible down the stairs. The shuffling of Ikuko was distinctive from the old man's heavy steps with a cane. As they left, Usagi realized that she held no memories of the last few months…weeks… As she sorted through her thoughts, the girl was stunned to realize she couldn't even remember the cause of the illness or when it began. Usagi could only remember her misery. The all-encompassing pain consumed her thoughts.The nightmares that sprung up from nowhere, the horrible premonitions of the future.

From downstairs, the doorbell rang. 

"Usagi, you have a visitor!" someone shouted down the stairs. 

"Probably another idiot doctor," mumbled the blonde with a look at her hands.When her eyes gazed up again, Mamoru stood in the doorway. 

"Ohairi kudasai," Usagi greeted him with a faint smile. 

He smiled back as he entered. "I'm glad you're awake now." 

"So am I," she replied as Mamoru sat down on her bed. "How are you?"

"Better," he answered. His arms drew her close into a hug. For the first time in months, the girl finally felt safe. As Usagi pulled back for a kiss, a cold shot echoed down her spine. Mamoru noticed her body tense in his arms and asked, " What's wrong?" 

She gazed into his eyes to read his expression. Something was wrong – his eyes were now green instead of the cobalt blue they always had been. "Did your eyes change color?" Usagi asked, touching his cheek. 

He shook his head. "Iie…not as far as I can remember." Something cold dug into the small girl's back as Mamoru spoke. Icy pain numbed the area as his eyes flashed to silver and became emotionless. 

"Let go of me!" Usagi cried, trying to get away. 

"I can't let you go, Moon Princess," he told the blonde. "You must die here and now."

"Iie!" 

"Too late," Mamoru chided. "Much too late." 

The cold blade of a knife – _no_, she realized, _a broad sward_ – pierce through her body. Crimson blood splattered again onto the walls. The pain it inflictedwas immense as the one Usagi loved ripped both her body and soul to pieces.

"Iie…" She muttered without moving. " I thought you loved me." 

"Iie," he whispered in her ear. "Love is for fools, Serenity." 

"You are a fool," came the quiet reply. " Weak by haunting me through the person I love." 

"I am wise beyond your years schoolgirl," said the false Mamoru. "I am what your betrothed is destined to become…merely a hell of a lot stronger after your demise." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Usagi)

"Usagi!" someone shouted in my ear. "Were you listening at all to the doctor's words?!?" 

I opened my eyes; stunned to realize that what had just occurred had been another nightmare. "Iie," I admitted unwillingly. " Gomen nasai." 

"I said to stay in bed Usagi," repeated the doctor. Like in my dream he was old and bent, leaning on a thin wooden cane for support. "You are young and otherwise healthy…to recover from this virus you will need all the rest you can get." 

"Fine." 

"Under no circumstances are you to leave your bed," continued the old man. "I hope you will take my advice." With a glance at his pocket watch and a small bow to my mother, the doctor added, " I apologize for cutting this visit so short, but I have another appointment now." 

I held my breath as the doctor followed my mother out of the room and down the stairs. Her shuffling was again distinctive from the thumping of the three-legged doctor. Once again, I was alone. Irritated at the repeat of my nightmare, I flopped back onto the bed – which was a bad move. It nearly took all the breath I had away from the impact. Finally I realized how fragile my body had become over the time I spent consumed in nightmares. This knowledge terrified me.

"Usagi, you have a visitor!" Shingo called up the stairs. "It's your boyfriend!" 

"Damnit," came my haggard reply. "It's repeating itself." 

"Usako?" someone asked. 

Mamoru stood in the doorway, holding a single red rose in his hand. With some effort, I forced myself to sit up again. He must have seen the expression on my face, for Mamoru rushed over in time to prevent me from collapsing entirely from overexertion. Mamoru gently gathered me in his arms, brushing the sheets back from the bed. He sat down on the bed and gently placed me in his lap. Pulling me close with both arms, he asked, " Are you okay?" 

"Hai," I shakily replied. Slowly, I placed my head on his shoulder as his hands intertwined with my own. "It's been a while…" 

He nodded and held me to his warm chest. " It has been too long." 

I took one of Mamoru's hands – still intertwined in one of my own – and placed his palm against my cheek. "You're right," I said softly. "At least I'm not dead yet…that must be a good sign." Mamoru's hand moved to tip my chin up. His cobalt eyes clashed with mine as he leaned in close. 

Without even realizing it, our lips met in a passionate kiss. _Love is a strange sensation…_came my first thought. _Something so pure and divine, yet odd as well…_

So I broke away. 

Mamoru looked surprised. His eyes expressed his worry for me even as he spoke. "Are you feeling okay?"

"What if I just gave you what I have?" 

"That's doubtable," he replied softly. Mamoru's lips brushed against my cheek and settled there for a few moments. 

Something ran down my face now, feeling like a silk cloth passing down over my mouth and nose. Mamoru must have felt my body tense up in his arms, for he asked me gently, "What's wrong?" 

My throat grew tight, impairing the ability to respond. In horror, blood began to pour forth from my mouth…it came from nowhere, choking me… I coughed and gasped with the effort it took to breathe. 

Mamoru responded well by reaching over to find the trash can next to my desk. All I could do was cough and vomit up more and more of the crimson before it could fill my windpipe. After what seemed like an eternity, the bleeding stopped almost as instantly as it had come. 

Shaking from the effort it took to breathe, I clutched the sheets like they were my only grip to reality. There was a burning sensation in my heart…of almost the same intensity as during the first memorable nightmare, where the evil being had ripped my heart from my chest. "Mamoru…" I gasped through the pain. "Please…don't leave…"

"I never would," came his answer. His free hand gently pushed away the stray strands of hair covering my face. "Are you tired, Usagi?"

The only response I could muster came in the form of a weary nod. 

Mamoru gently pulled the sheets over us – yet I still sat in his lap. My head lie again on his shoulder as if it were a pillow. For the first time in a long while, I felt safe. It was a feeling of peace I had begun to miss so dearly in the time I lay enclosed in nightmares…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(3rd person)

"Usagi!" came a harsh whisper. "Wake up!!!" 

The sleeping senshi of the moon rolled over in her bed with a faint groan. "Is it morning already?" 

"Kami," muttered the person, " they're all going to be dead if you don't get up now, Serenity!" 

The sleeping girl's eyes opened wide at the sound of that name. "Nani?" she whispered again. "Who is that?" 

Through the darkness, the voice spoke again. "It's me, Makoto." 

Usagi gave a sigh of relief. "What's wrong?" 

"Rei and Ami have both been captured," she managed through gasps for air. Makoto had been running the entire way here… "Luna went to find Minako – so far there's no sign of her." 

"That's odd," agreed Usagi. "Minako isn't the type of person to run from a fight…" The petite blonde's face went dark when she remembered her confinement to bed for the next few days…as well as what had happened when Mamoru had come over only a day before. " What makes you think I can help?" 

Makoto didn't attempt to respond, so Usagi continued with, "What if I were to pass out?" The girl's gaze shifted from a dark spot on the wall to her hands. "Then I'd let you and the other girls down too…" 

The senshi of lightning reached out with one hand and grabbed Usagi by the collar. "So you aren't even going to try?" 

Green eyes clashed with cerulean ones. For a few moments, Makoto tried to read Usagi's expression. Her friend looked away and said, "I don't know what to tell you, Mako-chan." 

"You've already let me down Usagi – by giving such a lame excuse. By not even trying, you've already let everyone else down as well." 

Silence. 

A few moments later, Usagi spoke out of irritation. "Fine." Her voice echoed in the silent room. "I will go with you, kick this daemon's ass, and come home." 

After a few weird seconds, Makoto let go. "Come on."

Usagi nodded. "We've wasted enough time here." 

Mako walked to the open window. "Think you can manage this?" 

"Of course." 

"Fair enough," was her reply. "Hurry." 

In one jump, Makoto was out the window and standing on the ground. Usagi took a deep breath, jumped onto the windowsill, and out the window. She landed hard and rolled on the concrete – a visible sign of her weakness. 

"Where to?" wondered Usagi, trying to ignore the worried look Makoto shot her way.

"The waterfront – again." 

Usagi sighed and followed her friend down the dark roads of Tokyo at top speed. 

*~*~*~*~*~

An explosion of light illuminated the dark sky. A wave of heat so intense that Makoto and Usagi could feel it – from their position still blocks away – radiated from the waterfront. 

A cold chill shot down Usagi's spine. "Did you feel that?" 

"Hai," Makoto replied. "It's got to be Minako…" 

"Then the enemy must have her as well. That would explain why Luna and Artemis couldn't find her." 

Makoto and Usagi broke into a sprint to reach the origin of the blast. Both stopped in surprise and horror at the scene that had unfolded. 

All the vegetation in the waterfront was dead. Every plant and tree was burnt into deformed, warped crisps – most likely caused by the weird blast. Crimson blood stained the ground, seeming to boil as it lay in puddles. _Whose blood was this?_ Usagi wondered in her thoughts. _Could this be the blood of my friends? _

_ _

Makoto interrupted Usagi's thoughts with, "My God…" 

Rei and Ami were tied between two cindered trees. A thick red rope held their limbs taut and prevented any movement. It was so tight around their wrists and ankles that their hands had begun to turn blue from lack of blood circulation. 

Ami's forehead was split open above her brow, bleeding profusely. Her head hung limp, seemingly lifeless. The girl's left leg was slit horizontally to prevent her escape.

The condition of Rei was also horrifying – her shoulder had been sliced open and her right arm hung limp against the rope. Many various bruises and cuts covered the exposed areas of her body. 

"Who the hell did this?" Makoto demanded. She began to walk out from their hiding spot to help her friends, but Usagi reached out to stop her. The tall girl gave Usagi a dirty look. "What are you doing?" 

"Stopping you from killing yourself." 

"Nani?!?" 

"Don't be an idiot," replied Usagi. "You know you would have been dead if you walked out there all alone." 

She frowned. "I'm going out there whether you like the idea or not." 

Usagi shrugged. "Something more powerful than both Ami and Rei did this. You can join them, but there's nothing saying you won't end up in the same condition as they are." Usagi's gaze met her friend's own. 

Mako's look softened. "I'm surprised…" 

"Let's go – but not alone or both of us will die." 

Slowly, a nod followed my words. "Let's go and kick some ass." Mako held her heishein wand in her hands, her fingers tracing over every edge. 

"After you," said Usagi with a smile. 

Makoto made a slight acknowledgement before raising the wand into the air. "Jupiter Star Power Make Up!" 

As her changes began, Usagi raised her brooch above her head. _This ought to get their attention, _she thought, _Bad idea, but too late now… _"Moon Cosmic Power Make Up!" 

Within moments the changes occurred, turning Usagi into her other half – Sailor Moon. Behind her stood Makoto, now Sailor Jupiter. 

"Hey Sailor Moon," hissed Jupiter, "Look…Minako…she isn't tied up like the others."

"Damn," Usagi whispered when she spotted her friend. Minako looked confused and disturbed at the same time as she stood in front of Rei and Ami. "She's going to get captured…" 

"Iie," Jupiter protested, "Minako isn't the capturee – she is the capturer!" (AN: That made a lot of sense, huh?) 

"What the hell?" Usagi's gaze followed Jupiter's own; which was fixed onto Minako. Minako now held Rei by the throat. 

"I can't stand around anymore," Jupiter told her friend. "If I die, then so be it." She gave Usagi a cold glare. "I can't stand around an watch people be tortured to death – especially not my friends!" 

With that, the senshi of lightning took off. Usagi remained behind and didn't make the effort to stop Makoto this time. Arms crossed, Usagi watched for Minako's expression of surprise – but there was none. Only a calm, icy smile crossed Minako's face. 

"Jupiter! Watch out!" Usagi cried from her position. 

Minako let go of Rei's neck and laughed. The inane sound echoed through the late hour of the night. 

"Is that you, Minako?!" demanded Jupiter. "What has happened to you?" 

Minako quit laughing and turned her entire being toward Jupiter. "There wasn't any selling out here, Kino Makoto. Only eagerness." 

"You're a liar!" cried Jupiter. "The Minako I know would never be eager to join the likes of your kind!" 

"Wrong again."

Makoto shook her head. "Who cares if I'm wrong and you're right? All that matters is that you are now my new Enemy." 

Minako's smile twisted into a smirk. "I don't need to waste my time fighting you, Sailor Jupiter." 

Jupiter lashed out with her fist raised high. All anger was released in the momentum of the blow. With an eerily precise movement, Minako reached up and grabbed Jupiter's fist. 

"What the -?" 

Minako leaned toward a very surprised Sailor Jupiter, still holding her fist. "You're much, much, too slow," she whispered. With a crack, Jupiter's fist was turned completely to the left. Seconds later Minako kicked Jupiter in the ribs – something Usagi had never seen Minako do to anyone before. 

"Damnit," hissed Usagi. As Jupiter stumbled to the ground from the blow, Usagi reached up and pulled her tiara off with her thumb and index finger. Aiming for Minako's head – in an attempt to knock her out – I called out, "Moon Tiara Action!" 

Usagi threw the weapon, but to no avail. Minako grinned as the tiara shot at her head. Mere millimeters from her face, she caught it. 

Usagi took a double take. Minako caught it?!?

"If that's your best, Sailor Moon, give up now." 

Shaking her head, Usagi smiled as well. "Now I know you are a fake." She held her hand out, calling the tiara back. It happened to be something this fraud wasn't expecting. 

Minako had been smirking – that is, until the tiara lit up and blasted through her hand and back to Usagi. 

"Damn you!" cried the imposter, who held her bloody stump for a hand. The red gore seeped through her fingers clasped tightly over the stump. It dripped into a small puddle at Minako's feet. 

The tiara shot back towards Usagi, who caught it; wiped the blood off of on her skirt, and put it back on. 

"You will pay for that move Sailor Moon!" 

"How so?" came Usagi's reply. "Unlike you, I still have two hands to fight with." 

Minako laughed again. "You aren't strong enough to hurt me, Sailor Moon. The pathetic part is that you and I both know it." 

"Who are you?" demanded Jupiter as she stood. 

"I am whomever you hate the most, Senshi," Minako answered. "Who I am means nothing, says nothing, and will change nothing." 

Usagi's head began to pound. _Those words, they're so familiar…_ She grabbed her head, trying to suppress the pain. An image of Mamoru materialized in her head…dressed in the armor of Endymion… His eyes, his touch was cold. Usagi saw him, saying those same words as she writhed in pain…the dream…_The nightmare -my heart… he was there… Mamoru said those same words…what the hell is going on?_

_ _

The false Minako grinned at the sight of Usagi cringing in pain. "Sound familiar, Usagi?" 

"What the hell are you?" Usagi demanded. "You were in my dreams…" 

Jupiter went to her friend, placing an arm around Usagi's shoulders. The tall girl glared at the fake Minako. "Are you going to fight her now, here?" 

Minako's face went dark. "You are not ready to die. You are too innocent, nightmares so pathetic." With a sweep of her hand, Jupiter went flying away from Sailor Moon. Minako reached out with one arm and grabbed Usagi by the neck. "I can see your dreams, Serenity, and you have not been corrupted enough." 

"That day will never come," Usagi told her. "You will have to kill me first." 

"It can be arranged, Sailor Moon." 

Minako's only hand clutched her throat tighter. "Why did you choose Minako?" Sailor Moon rasped. 

Minako forced a smirk. "She was weak." 

Sailor Moon reached behind her back and found her scepter. Quickly she turned it around so that it was pointing into the fraud's chest. Minako looked down, unimpressed.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," chided Minako. "If you blast me to dust, the real Aino Minako will die." 

"Where will you go, coward?" 

The smirk widened. "If you knew, things wouldn't be half as fun, now would they?" 

Sailor Moon threw away the scepter. Surprisingly, Minako let go of her. Only seconds later, Usagi kicked Minako's bloody stump of a hand. 

Minako cried out in pain and Sailor Moon sprinted to the place where Rei and Ami were tied up. She tried to tug on the rope, but it was to no avail. Once again, Sailor Moon removed her tiara and began to slice through the rope. 

"Nice distraction, Sailor Moon," came Minako's voice. 

"But I think you'll be disappointed with the end result," said a new voice from behind. A pair of strong arms grabbed Sailor Moon around the waist, pinning her arms to her. Usagi dropped her tiara out of surprise. Sailor Moon turned her head and saw only part of a girl's face. "Who are you?" 

"The name's Anju," responded the girl behind her. 

Minako was now suddenly in front of Sailor Moon. She grasped the senshi of the moon's neck once more and examined her face. Minako's eyes stopped on her own. 

"Jupiter Supreme Thunder!" 

Green lightning heated the air next to Sailor Moon's face. It came within inches of Minako, who held her free hand out and stopped it. "I told you once, Jupiter – you're too slow." 

"Damn you, bitch!" Jupiter shouted back. 

"Leave here!" shouted Sailor Moon. "Leave now, Mako!" 

"I'm no coward!" Mako shot back. 

"So be it!" Minako shouted. "Return!" 

Sailor Moon's vision began to grow fuzzy…all she could see was the lightning…charging back at Jupiter…

Something cut through the hand choking Sailor Moon!! Another flash of red light and Anju let go of Usagi's waist. Sailor Moon fell to the ground, choking on air as she tried to feed air to her deprived lungs. 

Minako's figure took one step toward Sailor Moon, a beam of light building at her fingertip. She too was stopped – by a red rose shooting from the heavens. 

Usagi regained her breath and stood, wavering on her feet. When things cleared, she saw Jupiter fighting Anju and Tuxedo Kamen dueling with Minako. Sailor Moon took this as an opportunity to heal Minako – that is, while she was distracted. 

Sailor Moon grabbed her scepter and raised it high above her head. "Moon Healing Escalation!" 

Silver light blasted from the scepter and flooded over the whole area, over everyone. Tuxedo Kamen looked surprised, almost scared. He knew how weak Usagi had been- and for her to be using this much energy… 

The ropes holding Rei and Ami evaporated, their wounds were healed. Minako shrieked in pain and horror as her body and soul were cleansed from the evil that held her hostage. Moments later, she fell to the earth. 

Anju escaped, shouting vulgarities at Sailor Moon. 

The taste of blood was afresh in the senshi of the moon's mouth. It dribbled a little at a time from her mouth and beaded into tiny droplets on her lips. Usagi tried to stop the Ginzuishou's magic as she bled, a futile effort. The silver light chose not to alleviate until gore dripped from the corners of her mouth, until it flooded from her nose, or until crimson tears ran from her crystal blue eyes.

"Oh God…" whimpered Usagi. There seemed to be no end to the pain that followed. Pain so viscous it seemed to hollow and cauterize her insides, seemed to eat her from the inside out. All of the gore on Usagi's body and clothing seemed to sting like acid on exposed flesh. _It hurts so bad…_thought the girl. _My whole soul feels as if it is burning away. _

_ _

When the light of the Ginzuishou stopped abruptly, Usagi grasped her scepter so tightly that her knuckles had begun to turn white. It seemed to be her only support against the influx of power. Usagi's blue eyes went wide as if in surprise and she dropped the scepter to the ground. With that, the senshi of the moon collapsed to the concrete as well. 

Tuxedo Kamen had seen his Usako's silent scream of pain. From his point in the battle, he could not see why she had cried out to him. He spotted Usagi as she collapsed to the ground. 

As if reflex, the caped protector ran to her and caught the girl before her shoulders could touch the ground. Mamoru knelt down, placing Sailor Moon's head against his shoulder. He noticed the battered condition of his angel as he held her in his arms. Usagi was as cold as ice. 

In a panic, Mamoru pulled the cape from his back and wrapped Usagi inside. She only shivered and attempted to wipe some of the claret away from her mouth. Her hand stopped midway, too weak to move. Tuxedo Kamen believed this was due to the massive amount of blood she was losing. 

A golden glow began to radiate from Mamoru's hands, and then slowly encompassed his entire being. Makoto watched in awe as it flowed into her friend and leader – who made no response. She only lost her heishein, returning to the clothes of a schoolgirl. Usagi's eyes looked into Mamoru's own, showing she was still alive. In that moment, her beloved's heart broke at the realization of the amount of her suffering. 

"Y-you don't have to watch me suffer, Mamo-chan," she whispered to him. A wave of nausea passed over Usagi and she violently vomited up blood. It stained both of their clothes a vibrant shade of red. 

"Usako…" began Mamoru gently. One hand strayed to her cheek as he spoke. "Please…don't give up on me…" 

The petite blonde coughed, still trying to recover from the last wave of nausea. Tuxedo Kamen's hand moved from around her waist to wipe some of the crimson away from her mouth. Usagi grimaced again as her chest smarted with the effort it took to breathe. In Tuxedo Kamen's embrace, she tried to shake her head to clear it. 

"Don't die on me," he begged of his angel in a whisper. "You can't die here… Usako…" _You can't leave me all alone, _added Mamoru in his thoughts. 

Usagi felt a pang of guilt. She wanted to comfort him, to tell her beloved that she wouldn't die in his arms like this. It would be too difficult to lie. Out loud, Usagi managed a simple, "I'm so sorry…"

Tuxedo Kamen refused to believe that his Usako was dying. He tried with all of his might to heal her; even though he realized it was a useless effort. In his arms, the girl twitched once, then twice. Crystal eyes looked up at him, tears streaking down his angel's face. 

Her nose began to bleed again. Not like it mattered anymore. It streamed down and stained both of their clothes. Even though in pain, Usagi tried to bite her lip and force a smile. "Do me a favor, beloved?" she asked weakly. 

"Anything…" 

With the last of her strength, Usagi wrapped her arms around Mamoru's neck and kissed him. He was caught by surprise, but Mamoru returned the kiss regardless. Usagi poured her entire soul into that last show of affection, her passion immense. 

Tuxedo Kamen never wanted her to leave his embrace. Usako seemed so full of life to him, so real at this one moment. He knew this was indeed the end, and felt his entire heart wrench at the thought. 

Their passion lasted as long as possible – until both had no air left. Usagi gasped once, then twice for air as the two's lips unlocked. 

"Aisheteru, Usako," Mamoru whispered into her ear. 

Usagi rested her head on his collarbone. Damn, she was so tired. She managed to reply back softly, "Aisheteru, Mamo-chan. I will love you eternally, my beloved." 

Mamoru felt her grip loosen as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. Usagi's eyes were closed, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Usako?" he wondered, tilting her chin up with one hand. No response. "Usagi?" 

In that moment, Chiba Mamoru realized that his Usako was truly gone. Once again he was alone in this world. His heart shattered into a thousand pieces in that instant. Mamoru kissed her lips once more and realized that they were cold. 

He raised his head up to look at the stars, perhaps to gaze at the moon. Mamoru held his angel close and cried in complaint to the heavens. "USAKO!!!" 

***

Notes: 

Welcome to the new and improved chapters of "Ichidou". These are completely revamped (even though I originally only released four out of the eight) and are longer for your reading enjoyment! 

Perhaps you don't realize how glad I am that these are being rewritten. Call me obsessive compulsive, but this draft is much better than the original. Yeah…and leaning several words that mean the same thing as "blood" was sure amusing as well. I hope you liked it! 

A tout `a l'heure!! 

- yuki 


	3. flames of purity

Author's notes are here!! Not much to say, except please review!

Oh, and I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters associated with it…although I'm having a good time messing up the universe crafted so carefully around them. 

Anju, Haikumei, and all other weirdly named enemies are of my creation, so I do own them. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*~*~*~*

Ichidou - Chapter Three: 

"Flames of Purity"

*~*~*~*

"All pain is a punishment, and every punishment is inflicted for 

love as much as for justice."

** - **Joseph de Maistre 

*`*`

He raised his head up to look at the stars, perhaps to gaze at the moon. Mamoru held his angel close and cried in complaint to the heavens. "USAKO!!!" 

*`*``

Mamoru's heartfelt outburst cut through the silence of the hour. 

A rainbow of color filled the sky as the sun arose to meet the challenge of the day. Though the rising sun, Jupiter watched as Tuxedo Kamen's emotional barrier shattered into fragments. From her point a few feet away, she could see the tears forcing their way down his cheeks. 

Jupiter forced herself to her feet and brushed her skirt off. Makoto wasn't sure if she should interrupt this moment – it seemed far too personal. 

The overwhelming concern for her friend caused Mako to turn and run towards the two – pushing away better judgment. Usagi was hurt; she was unmoving in Mamoru's arms…

Jupiter dropped to her knees and looked at Usagi in Tuxedo Kamen's arms. "What happened?" asked the worried girl. "Is Usagi okay…?" 

Tuxedo Kamen did not reply. Instead, he turned his head, almost ashamed. "Usako…" A rare sight to see, the cobalt eyes of Mamoru wavered with tears. He held the girl close to him. Makoto only watched, as he called to Usagi, limp and unresponsive in his arms. 

Sailor Jupiter felt her own heart wrench at the thought of losing Usagi. A feeling of nausea overcame her – perhaps a sign of the condition of her friend. 

The senshi of lightning reached out to touch Tuxedo Kamen's shoulder as a sign of support. She hoped she hadn't invaded his space, but felt helpless to do otherwise. Her suspicions were confirmed as Mamoru turned to face Mako, the tears cascading down his cheeks; the pain visible in his exposed eyes. 

"Usako…she's – she's gone, Makoto…" 

At that moment Jupiter felt nothing. 

The impact of those words didn't hurt Mako until he face grew hot with tears. "She's gone?" repeated the senshi of lighting. "Oh my God…" 

Seeing Jupiter's tears didn't help Mamoru's condition. His gaze fell again on the beautiful girl in his arms. Her blood still stained his clothes and still resided on his lips from their last kiss. Tuxedo Kamen could feel their soul bond shatter in that moment and he believed that like a hungry dragon, the pain might consume him. 

"Damnit," muttered Jupiter. She tried to wipe away her tears, realizing that she had to be strong for both Mamoru's and her own well-being, but it was truly a useless effort. 

A laugh echoed throughout the entire park. It seemed to focus in on Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Jupiter, seeming louder where they stood. 

Tuxedo Kamen looked up from Usagi's corpse. "The enemy…" he said softly to the senshi next to him. Mamoru made some motions for Mako to go one way as he went the other way. 

As he ran into the cover of a clump of cherry trees, something reached out and grabbed Tuxedo Kamen by the neck. His eyes widened in surprise and he almost dropped the girl in his arms. The thing pulled the caped hero into the trees and away from the light of the morning. 

Because of the force of the pull, Tuxedo Kamen watched helplessly as he dropped Usagi to the grass. "Damnit…" He reached for her as another figure swept the blonde into their grasp. 

"L-let go of her!" demanded a nearly breathless Tuxedo Kamen. The chokehold only tightened to increase his discomfort. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" a new voice called out. It sounded vaguely familiar to Tuxedo Kamen – _An enemy?! _His mind raced. _Damnit…_ He fought back the consuming blackness as his windpipe constricted further. 

"Not while I'm around…" said the semi-familiar voice. The feminine voice's next words confirmed Tuxedo Kamen's familiarity. 

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"  A blast struck the person assaulting Tuxedo Kamen and he rolled away, gasping for air. Sailor Jupiter seemingly disappeared in the next moment as she went to beat whatever attacked Mamoru. 

Sailor Jupiter stared into the blue-green eyes of the newest to try and destroy the earth. The woman was taller than Jupiter, using it to her advantage. The enemy smirked at the sign of a challenge from this girl standing before her. 

"Who the hell are you?" Jupiter asked, shifting the weight of her dead friend in her arms. "We were so engaged in killing one another last time before you disappeared." A wolfish smile crossed the senshi of lightning's face. "It seems only fair to know the name of the bitch that killed my best friend." 

The enemy smiled at the words. She bowed and replied, "I am Anju, servant to Lordess Haikumei."  As Anju regained her composure she unclasped her hands and added, "I wouldn't be so hot for revenge, girl. You underestimate me." 

Jupiter tried to take as best of a defensive stance as possible with Usagi in her arms. "I've dealt with scum like you. Want to destroy earth, right?" The senshi looked her enemy again in the eyes and realized that this woman's goal must be something greater… "No, you want something bigger – but I will never let you get it!" 

Anju laughed outloud. "What do you want me to be here for, senshi of lightning?" 

Faintly, a voice called something out that was unrecognizable at this distance. Soon it came closer to where Anju and Jupiter were verbally harassing one another, not in the form of words. 

A huge ball of fire roared past Jupiter, nearly searing her long auburn hair. It spiraled, splashed into the ground in front of Anju, and created a ring of fire around the enemy. 

"Mars?!" Jupiter called out. "Is that you?" 

"Aqua Illusion!" shouted another voice. A thick fog rolled in, making it impossible for either woman to see their own feet. 

"It's Mercury and Mars," muttered Makoto, "but where are they?" 

Someone put his or her hand on Jupiter's shoulder. "Right behind you."  

Jupiter turned around and glared into Mars' violet eyes. "Don't do that," she told the priestess. "I thought you were the enemy." 

"That bimbo?" Mars asked in mock offense. 

"What's wrong with Sailor Moon?" Mercury asked instantly as she approached. She instantly noticed that Usagi appeared to be hurt and that Jupiter was carrying her for a reason. 

Jupiter looked away as the tears threatened to return. "S-She's…dead." 

Mercury favored Jupiter with a weird look. "You're joking, right?" 

Mars walked toward Usagi and checked her pulse. "Kami-sama have mercy…" she muttered. Mars' face went pale as she realized the horrible truth. 

Mercury still refused to believe such a claim and checked Usagi's pulse again. She remained silent. 

"I told you guys…" 

Jupiter tried to suppress her tears as best as possible. One look at Mars' face and both her and Mercury lost all their composure. All three burst into tears and tried to mourn the loss of their friend and their leader. 

Their tears were interrupted by the sound of laughter. "You cry over that girl?" demanded Anju. "You waste your tears on such a pathetic being!" 

Mars glared into the dissipating fog. "You killed her, didn't you demon?" 

Anju flipped her hair as she stood above them, in a tree. "Oh senshi, that's a precious little secret…"  

A rose shot down from the heavens and imbedded itself into the branch at Anju's feet. All looked up at Tuxedo Kamen, who stood in the branches of a nearby tree. He jumped down to the three senshi and stood by them. 

"Anju, watch yourself," Tuxedo Kamen called up to the new enemy. "I will not rest until you pay for the suffering you have caused here!" 

Mars put a hand on his shoulder as he moved to leap into the tree. She leaned in and said gently, "I'm so sorry… Please, don't be consumed with hatred. This woman is not the cause of Usagi's death." 

Tuxedo Kamen turned and looked into Mars' eyes. "When I find the being that killed her, the bastard that created that virus, their suffering will match my suffering, Rei. Pray that I never find the guilty party." 

Mars stepped back in surprise. Tuxedo Kamen walked back to Jupiter, who still carried Usagi in her arms. The senshi of lightning surrendered her friend to Tuxedo Kamen's protective embrace. He held Usagi close, despite the fact that she was dead. 

"This is getting too boring for my tastes, senshi," Anju called down to them. "Allow me to make this more entertaining." 

Black blades rained down on the entire group. Razor sharp, they inflicted various painful wounds on the vulnerable senshi. Tuxedo Kamen covered Usagi and himself with his cape in the hope of protecting them from the attack. 

Anju laughed in pleasure as she watched the senshi suffer. When she felt satisfied, the blade ridden rain stopped. This happened to be when all the senshi were injured enough to be drastically weakened. 

The ground was literally stained with blood from the senshi's wounds. Tuxedo Kamen however, had the worst wound of them all. 

A huge wound ran along the length of Tuxedo Kamen's right arm – the one he had held his cape up with. Blood ran not only down his arm, but was also smeared on his cape and sleeve. Three drops of his blood were on Usagi's forehead and cheek. Another droplet lay on her closed eyelid. 

Although Tuxedo Kamen had protected her, Usagi's body had been injured as well. Long thin wounds covered her entire body and secreted crimson blood. 

"What's happening to her?" wondered Mercury. 

"It's that virus," replied Tuxedo Kamen. He laid his burden onto the ground to assess the extent of the injury on his arm. He noted that it wasn't really important and leaned down again to pick up his love. 

Blood streamed down his arm and he grimaced as he lifted her easily into his embrace. Mamoru staggered a bit as he put pressure on the severely wounded arm. 

"Are you alright?" Jupiter asked him. 

"I'll be fine," came his response.  

"What do you want from us, Anju?!" demanded Mars. 

The woman smiled before the senshi. "Nothing more than your dead leader, of course." 

"This virus still ravages Sailor Moon's body and mind," Tuxedo Kamen spoke up. Sorrow was still evident in his undertones, but he tried to bar off the emotion until he could be alone… "It's eating her alive. I'm afraid she'll be of no use to you now Anju." 

"Dead or alive, that girl still will become a great help for my cause," Anju reassured us. "It doesn't matter now what her fate will be. There is no chance in either heaven or hell that your 'eternal happiness' can ever occur." 

"You can never have her!" Mercury shot back with an unusual fierceness. "You will have to kill everyone here to take our friend!" 

Anju's smile twisted into an amused smirk. "It's so pathetic, Senshi. You give this girl so much respect for being a corpse." She raised one hand, palm outwards and facing the senshi. "However, I think your request can be arranged." 

"We didn't come here to die, Anju," came a new voice. "Especially not to the likes of you." 

"Wha –" began Jupiter before Mars covered her mouth with one hand. All scanned the area around them to locate the source of the voice. 

Anju looked confused, then horrified. Mars noted Anju's discomfort and chided her with, "So you don't like what you can't see, Anju?"

There was no response from the enemy in front of the senshi. Instead, the unseen person again verbally accosted Anju. "You want someone to fight with?" 

A figure clad in the fuku of a senshi jumped down from a surrounding tree. It was Sailor Venus – but anger marred all of her features. 

It was in this moment that Sailor Mercury turned to a surprised Tuxedo Kamen and said, "Go." He looked surprised to hear her telling him to leave when Mercury knew they would need his help. "Go now!" she repeated. "If you want to get out of here with Usagi, then now is the time!"  

"I can't leave the four of you here to face this alone," Tuxedo Kamen tried to protest. 

"Leave," reinforced Jupiter, whose attention was more focused on the discomfort of Anju. "You're not a coward! Get out of here!" 

Tuxedo Kamen looked surprised at the force behind Jupiter's tone. This time, instead of protesting, he tipped his hat at the four senshi. Moments later, the masked man was gone. Mercury sighed. At least that was over. 

"Venus Crescent Beam!" 

The thin beam hit Anju directly in the left side of her chest  - almost piercing into the witch's heart. The evil woman looked surprised at Venus' incredible aim. In a counterattack, all hell broke loose.

Four  new enemies of various identities teleported into the battle. "Great odds," muttered Mars. 

In unison, all four of the senshi raised their guards.

Venus leapt down from her stance in the trees to join her friends. 

At her action, one of the new enemies smiled. He had long navy colored hair, and almost struck a similarity with Saffir of the Black Moon Clan. 

He smiled and raised one hand out to the senshi. "The Princess is coming with us," he told them, "Even if all four of you must die in the process." 

In one fluid motion, Jade threw a ball of blue lightning at the inner senshi standing before him. It was too fast – Jupiter merely crossed her arms over her face and prayed that it would deflect a bit of the blast.

With full force the lightning struck…its force pushing the four girls backwards. Immense heat flooded around them as the blast grew. 

Behind the four girls was one of Anju's youma – arms red, thick, and long like vines of licorice. The creature looked like a spider, except for the human head and arms. 

"This keeps getting more and more wonderful…" Venus muttered as she stood. 

Mars tried to blast the creature, but it did nothing. The youma glowed white as it absorbed the energy being exerted. "This isn't going to stop my friend," taunted Anju, "it's quite useless really." 

Anju raised her thin, spindly hand; her long, bloodstained nails peaking over the tips of her narrow fingers. Her hands and fingers were so thin that as her blast charged it was visibly pulsing in her veins. "Take care of them Nauguo," she commanded, referring to the spider-like monster. 

As the senshi braced themselves, black and red tentacles surrounded them. The tentacles grabbed at the very vulnerable senshi and clutched their necks, legs, arms – it didn't matter. Jupiter thrashed in an attempt to get free, but it was utterly futile. 

The tentacles began to glow a vibrant white as Anju began to laugh in the foreground. It was sapping our energy…

In the next moment, something shot down from the sky and freed Mercury's left arm. Mercury stumbled out some words in surprise, "Bubbles Freeze!" 

Ice – slowly at first –slipped down the veins of the red and black tentacles. Using most of her strength, Jupiter stretched her arms apart. In doing so, she broke the glasslike arms binding her. 

Next to her, Venus, Mercury and Mars were doing the same thing – breaking away from the ice. All four fell to the ground. 

Jupiter was still seeing double when Anju remarked, "The senshi aren't the threat they were prophesied to be, Tuxedo Kamen."  

_Tuxedo Kamen? _Thought Mars in alarm. _Why isn't he with Usagi? _When she noticed him perched high above them with empty hands, she panicked. _Where is Usagi? _

He leapt down to them with a grim look on his face. When he reached the ground Mercury asked instantly, "What happened to Usagi?" She had stolen the words from Mars' thoughts. 

"Hidden," was the reply. 

"Not even going to ask," Venus muttered.

"Neither am I," Mars added softly. 

Tuxedo Kamen reached into his coat and pulled out a tiny black stick. He flicked his wrist and it extended into a long black cane. He surprised all of the senshi with his next words. "You were the one to kill Usagi," he said coldly. 

Anju tossed her head back and laughed. "The girl? She was easy to destroy…" 

"You created that virus, didn't you?" Jupiter demanded. It took all the self-control Makoto had learned to not attack the woman before them. 

The evil woman looked Tuxedo Kamen in the eyes and replied with a smirk, "Of course. It was pleasing to watch her suffer for weeks on end." 

"Damnit!" Mars exploded. She began to lunge at Anju, but Mercury and Venus held her back. "Damn you!" 

Venus knew that she now had no right to fight Anju. _Instead,_ she resolved, _I'll fight as many of these bastards as possible to make the enemy pay for the suffering they've caused.  _

Anju's smirk split into a grin. "Get rid of the Sailor Senshi, my warriors. Bring me their crest lockets and their heads." 

Jade and the three others bowed. "As you wish."

"This should be fun," Mars said with a fake smile. 

Venus nodded. "Hey, I needed a way to take out my aggression." She cracked her knuckles and added, "It's been a bad day." 

*          *          *


	4. rising sun

Author's notes are again at the end of this chapter. Enjoy!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

*~*~*~*

Ichidou - Chapter Four 

"Rising Sun" 

*~*~*~*

*`*`

(Jupiter) 

"And which flunkie are you?" I asked with a grim smile. 

"A worthy question," he shot back. "It seems only fair you should know the name of your murderer." 

I charged a blast of my own. "I would never die in a fight with you!" 

"You hope," was his simple and offhand comment. "I am Tomigu."

"You've got one thing wrong Tomigu," I said softly as the blast grew larger. As it grew, my voice grew louder as well. "I do not hope, I know!" I shouted, pushing my hands forward. Within a few moments, the blast hit Tomigu in the face. 

"You're too cocky, Sailor Jupiter," he taunted. Suddenly, he was gone?! 

"Jupiter, above you!" shouted Mercury from yards away. 

"Naja – Shadow!" came a cry from above. 

"Damn!" An attempt to dodge the blackness raining down from the heavens was futile. It struck my entire body at once; paralyzing mind as well as body. The pain was not only agonizing but terrifying as well. Pain burned holes in my mind and seemingly ripped tendon, muscle, flesh and bone apart. 

Red was everywhere in the landscape – my line of sight now blurred to shades of red from the pain. "You bastard," I muttered. "Killing me isn't going to help you, now is it?"

Meanwhile, sounds of smaller battles were all around us. Venus was sparring with Jade…and losing from what I could make out from the blurry red shapes in front of my eyes. 

A foot now rolled me over. _He's going to kill me,_ I thought. _He's too strong…maybe it's better this way… _I shook my head, clearing my thought and attempting to clear my vision – which failed. 

The same foot once poised above my chest now collided with it. The sound of ribs snapping was not a pleasant one, nor the feeling of having the wind knocked out of me. Surprised I wasn't dead yet, I attempted to get up. Slowly I staggered to my feet, vision still foggy as I held onto my ribs with one arm. 

Tomigu looked surprised himself. "You still want more, Jupiter?" 

Meagerly, I nodded. "Like I said, I will never die in a battle with you!" With unknown strength I clapped my hands together and cried, "Sparkling Wide Pressure!" 

Foolishly I fired the disc too high and missed Tomigu's head by mere inches. 

"You missed, Senshi," he mocked me as he prepared for another attack. 

_Please let this work, _I prayed – one eye on my disc, the other on Tomigu's growing attack. Seconds later a hint of green caught my eye. Within moments it was only a foot from the back of the enemy's head. I struggled to keep a straight face. 

Tomigu flashed a smile. "You think I am stupid enough to fall for such a trick?" The disc of lightning whizzed by his head and missed by only fractions of a millimeter when he shifted his weight.

Only one word could sum up how I was feeling in this moment, so I used it liberally. "Shit!" 

A horrible pathetic feeling encompassed my being as I realized that I had little strength left to put out. Only could I defend myself – if anything. 

~*~*~*~*~*~~*~~*~*~

(3rd person) 

"Icestorm Freeze!" 

Ice grew from the senshi of wisdom's fingertips and formed into a long staff. Through the early morning sunlight it sent off a reflective glare. Standing taller than her, it was her protection. 

"Chivin Destroyer!" 

Black ice shot toward Mercury, freezing the ground as it roared toward her. Burnt vegetation turned into misshapen pieces of glass in the passing of the ice. 

Hands gripping the staff of ice, Mercury made her move. Now only a few inches away, the girl raises her staff. 

Black exploded around the senshi of wisdom, drowning the area in darkness. From behind it there was a cry – the beam was too powerful. In a dynamic blast, the black ice beam imploded; causing black ice crystals as sharp as daggers to spray the area. 

Mercury was in no danger – a fragment would fly towards her and she would flick it away with her staff. However, the rest of the senshi were. They didn't know the razor sharp blades were even existent. Kade smiled, watching Mercury deflect the blast he provided.

Feet away, Mars was fighting with another one of Anju's fighters. This time it was a woman, silver haired and fair skinned. She was fast, but Mars was able to cope with the speed. 

"Fire Soul!" cried the rave haired girl. A huge spiral of fire consumed her enemy. Before Mars, the silver haired woman merely smiled, although in visible agony of the fires. 

"You have your reward, Sailor Mars," she spoke as the fires burnt the flesh of her arms away. The silver haired woman – known as Satasmi – held her hand out, palm outstretched to the senshi of fire. There was no flesh left upon it, now only blackened bone. Yet still usable to convey a message. 

"My only reward is your death in these fires," Mars shot back. "You my enemy, are powerless." 

One brow rose on the side of Satasmi's face still beholding flesh. "Or am I?" 

With curiosity in her eyes, Mars turned around. A black blade was headed toward her? "Damnit!" she hissed. Knowing it was useless, Mars still attempted to dodge it. 

While she was moving, the dagger of ice buried itself in Mars' already useless right hand. Only seconds later, the ice crystal dissolved into an acid. 

The senshi of fire cried out in pain, losing control over it. 

"Mars!" cried Mercury, whom noticed that her friend had been hit. A she turned away from him, Kade took advantage. Raising his hand, he struck Mercury across her face and bruised her left temple with the force of the blow. 

Mercury fell to the ground, her consciousness failing her. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~  
  


Her enemy struck again, although the senshi of ice was down. Kade prepared a beam of solid ice, ready to bury her for the eternities. If his allies had been more patient, they would have had the opportunity to trap the senshi rather than kill them. 

The only senshi that deserved death was the one from the moon, the one that was really Princess Serenity. Her fate had been sealed for millennia, woven by his Lady Haikumei. The disease of death was made by her slave Tomoe…

"You can't finish me off," muttered Mercury with her eyes still closed. "You can't finish me off…?" 

"I can," shot back Kade, "and I will. You die now, Sailor Mercury." The familiar black ice was now ready. It rose from his fingertips; thus burying the senshi of ice in her own element. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(Minako) 

I felt a loss. Though driven in my anger to fight Anju's second in command, my heart felt the loss. Pangs of pain shot through my heart. To this, I knew a horrifying fact: two of my friends were dead. 

"Your friends are dead," stated Jade with a smile. "You are the only one left, as always." 

"What?!" I demanded, uncomfortable. 

"She died to save you, Minako," he told me, his features serious. "Anju had you possessed, but the Princess of the Moon save you – never thinking of anyone else." 

Jade circled me, smirking. "You knew Serenity would die, didn't you? That if you were in her place you would never do the same for her, never save a member of your own family." 

"That's not true!" I cried, hate brewing in my eyes for this evil before me. Yet he spoke partial truth… "I would save her…if I could." I stared hard at the ground in shame. _ Usagi died to save me when I should have been destroyed…_ I thought as I grew angry. 

With a twitch of my hand, I conjured a chain of light. "Love Me Chain Strike!" 

"What was that?" demanded Jade, contempt in his eyes. "Angry because I know of the truth, that your feeling are so easily read?" 

"You will never know how I feel, you bastard!" 

Jade smirked at the outburst. "Harsh words coming from your mouth. Maybe I should silence you!" 

His hand reached back, gathering energy in his palm. I faced him with my guard up. Jade was doing a good job of toying with my head – something I despised. In the back of my mind I conjured another beam of my own for a counterattack. It would be an instant response. 

"Blue Lightning!" he cried, the beam intensifying. The lightning grew volatile and shifted color from black to blue. I tensed, yet the beam did not come. 

In those few seconds of anticipation, I became vulnerable to Jade's physical attacks. Knowing this, the enemy made his move. 

Jade's free arm stretched toward me aimed for my neck. With one hand he enclosed my entire throat. I could feel his huge fingers pressuring specific locations on my windpipe. 

Though a few feet away, his arm receded to its normal length. Jade's hand kept its vast size in order to prevent my escape. "Do you enjoy this battle Venus?" he demanded, one finger place itself on a key area of my windpipe. "You have lost everything, Sailor Venus. Friends, family, even your own soul for a few moments." He paused to let the lightning to dissipate. He did not need it any more – Jade had the upper hand. 

"I never thought I would see the day that Minako of Venus would lose a battle," he added. "The original leader of the Sailor Senshi fall, lose such a vital battle." 

My captor's eyes sparkled with anticipation. His hair blew back, revealing a scar – one that was millennia old. Unable to stop myself, I gasped. 

"You gave me this," Jade snorted, another finger moving itself to another critical area on my throat. "Remember that fateful battle…you for your precious Moon Kingdom, I for the soon to be rulers of the galaxy." 

I closed my eyes. Horrible memories returned that I didn't even realize I possessed. The worst an image of Jupiter being torn limb from limb, her blood staining the walkway where Usagi would have met Mamoru in secret. I had failed to save Makoto then, as well as now…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(3rd person) 

"Damn," she muttered, watching dead flesh melt from her wound. 

Mars stood alone, facing only the ashes of the once blazing fire. It had dissipated once Satsami was gone; evil purged from the soul. Satsami's cauterized bones were all that was left. Black and charred, there was now no threat. 

The senshi of fire attempted to move her burnt hand, but was unable to do so. A round hole as big as a quarter went through her hand. It was now useless because she had been careless. 

Mars was immediately struck with a sick feeling, as if she had just vomited up her own blood. This sensation made Mars realize that someone she knew was in danger. It wasn't any of her friends, they were all fighting separate battles. "Mamoru…" hissed the senshi out loud as soon as she realized it. "Damnit!" 

The girl took off to where she saw Anju's dark hair reflect the breaking dawn. As Mars ran she noticed the silence. Her footsteps thundered on the walk, over the grass. Only a few hours ago the footsteps would have been drowned out by battle cries. Something was horribly, horribly wrong. 

_But what was it?_ thought Mars, her breath heavy with her footsteps and increased speed. She had to protect the only heir left to the Earth, somehow…

Tuxedo Kamen stood unmasked before Anju. A red slash was across his cheek, still dripping blood. His hat was gone – pinned to a faraway tree with a narrowly missed ice dagger. 

Anju was in bad shape as well; bruises and slices covering parts of her body. Her black clothing was tattered, her face flushed. "Tuxedo Kamen, I didn't realize you were so pathetic…" 

"You killed my whole life, Anju," he replied bitterly. "The one I love. I am fighting to save what she would have wanted to preserve." 

Anju grinned. "We have a guest." 

Tuxedo Kamen turned to look at Mars. In the seconds this took, Anju struck him in the chest. He fell to the ground in incredible pain. 

Before Mars could react, Anju had struck her as well. 

"Mars," whispered the woman in my ear as I fell, "learn to respect privacy…" 

Moments later, the world went black, my skull smashed…

*          *          *

Author's Notes: 

Brutal, huh? 

If you wanted wholesale destruction, blood, and death, you probably enjoyed this chapter. For those that don't, I apologize. This was gruesome, I'll agree. Especially the ending little commentary: Mars' skull was smashed by Anju's blow… 

Okay. The senshi are in trouble. If you're paying attention, Tuxedo Kamen and Minako are the only two alive at this point. Everyone else has… well, met a gruesome end to say the least. Anju is insane and is begging to be killed in a similar kind of way…

Oh, and I don't own Sailor Moon. I keep forgetting to post disclaimers. However, I do own Kade, Anju, Haikumei, Satsami, Jade, and Tomigu. 

One more thing – 

Sorry for all the horrible point of view changes. It just sounded good at the time. 

Until next time, 

-yuki 

P.S.: See that little button down there? Please review!! 


	5. alone i weep

Author's notes are again at the end of this chapter. Enjoy!

Ichidou - Chapter Five

"Alone I Weep"

No one ever discovers the depths of his own loneliness.

-Georges Bernanos

(Minako POV)

The anger was growing.

As Jade and I fought on, it grew to be more help than a real hindrance. It kept me going, from giving up and dying at his feet. Jade was a formidable enemy. Even I know that I could have fought him better.

Another feeling was building inside of me – that feeling of emptiness that only becomes more and more vast.

"Someone else has just died," taunted Jade, his hair blowing wildly. His words confirmed my suspicions, but who was it…

"You can feel it," he continued. "All dead but you, last as always."

"I will avenge my friends, Jade," I replied through clenched teeth. "Even if I die myself!" A beam of light grew from my fingertips and became larger by the moment. "Crescent Light!"

The light was huge, creating a blinding flash.

Jade cried out in pain, his eyes burning with rage and pain. "How dare you, Sailor brat!"

In response I only smiled. "I'm not going to apologize for your stupidity."

Jade lashed out in the next few seconds and was controlled strictly by his anger.

"Poison!" he yelled as he pushed a beam into the air. A black glow surrounded the two of us. Suddenly, Jade was gone.

"What the hell?" I muttered to no one. When I turned around, Jade was directly behind me. "Damn!" I tried to get away, but Jade grabbed me around the waist.

"You can't escape me," he gloated. His grip grew stronger, his arms crushing my ribs and sternum.

I reached around with one hand to try and snap Jade's wrist. He stopped my movement easily and trapped both my hands. Somehow, I managed to twist his wrist with my two hands in his own. A crack echoed though the waterfront.

Jade's grip loosened and I pulled away from his rib crushing grasp.

"You'll pay, senshi," he said. I watched in horror as he took the snapped wrist in his free hand and reset the bones. He saw the

horrified look on my face and smiled as he tested the reflexes of the once-injured limb. "For you, Venus," Jade said again with a smile. "Blue Lightning!"

It was too slow, easily dodged. To dodge it though, I had to turn my back to Jade. He took this to his advantage by doubling up a fist and hitting me in the jaw as I turned around.

His blows were faster than I expected, much more painful than I had thought. Jade struck ten times in every second, the pain was unbearable.

The next blow struck me in the chest and knocked me to the ground. "Bastard," I muttered, crimson running down from my lips and my face. Yet Jade did not stop his attacks there.

He bent down, his navy colored hair blowing in the wind. His hand reached out and angrily snapped my wrist – he twisted it completely around so that my palms were where your knuckles should be.

I cried out in pain, unable to ignore the burning in my wrist. With what was left of my strength, I stumbled to my feet. "You haven't won yet, Jade."

"But I have Venus," Jade told me as he kicked me again in my ribs. What ribs weren't broken were now shattered by the brute force this last blow produced. "You have lost this battle…as well as your life."

(3rd person)

_Where am I?_ thought Usagi, glancing around. The world was blank, with no definition of earth and sky. There were no trees, no grass, no life other than her. No sky, only white above and all around.

"Is this where I was destined to go?" she asked, putting up her guard. Something wasn't right…

"No." came a voice. It was alone, voiced from no one. This caused the girl to look around in confusion.

"Who's there?" asked Usagi, glancing at the emptiness.

"When the time is right, you will know," was the reply. A beautiful young woman stepped from the white, dressed as a Sailor Senshi. "You weren't meant to die, Serenity," said the maiden. She smiled for a few brief moments, as if she were remembering the personality of her princess. "I am sorry to see you here in this prison." The maiden gestured at the emptiness around them, smile dying.

"Prison?" Usagi's eyes went wide. "How so?"

"The walls are their won prison, vast and blank, time never changing. The outside world lives on while I, a veritable prisoner here, never die."

"I'm sorry," the teenager replied, her heart full of empathy. Usagi stopped herself just in time, realizing that the maiden could be Haikumei.

"No, don't be sorry, Princess," the maiden replied. "Your tears are wasted upon me – I died a millennia ago – alone. No one has lost me… but you, Princess, have friends and Prince Endymion to live for."

At the sound of his name, Usagi burst into tears. "I failed them," she muttered endlessly, "I failed Mamoru…I died in his arms…the girls – I let Makoto down just like I said I would." The girl dropped to her knees, filled with emptiness like none other imaginable. With her long golden hair strewn across her face, Usagi pressed her forehead into the ground. She was so ashamed…

The maiden kneeled down next to the upset girl. "You have not failed your friends, I promise."

A long cry echoed throughout the emptiness. It was of pain and suffering, unlike any other. The maiden grimaced at the horrifying sound.

"It's Minako!" gasped Usagi. "She's suffering…"

The maiden only nodded. "Now is the time, Princess. You must go back to them, to Endymion as well as the others." She glanced into Usagi's tear stained face and couldn't help but smile.

The oddly shaped crest on the maiden's forehead glowed with a faint golden light.

"How am I to do that?" Usagi asked, glancing at the maiden before her. The crest began to grow brighter, the white around them turning dark.

"Hurry child," was the maiden's answer. "I will hold off the enemy, but you must go back."

"How?" cried Usagi. "I am dead!"

"Never dead," disagreed the maiden. "You are lost, Princess Serenity." She gestured to a silver and red rose, its tip shot into the ground. "To get home, you first must find your beloved."

The area around grew darker, turning to black. Before Usagi, the maiden began to disappear. Only her crest became visible through the black world around.

"Where are you going?" wondered Usagi.

"I have a mission Serenity, one that causes me to leave you for now," she answered. "Find your way before it disappears."

Usagi watched in horror as the maiden's mark died away, leaving her alone. Whomever she was, this maiden was an ally of great strength. Not only for her help, but because Usagi felt something familiar about the woman. It was odd…like déjà vu to be meeting her.

Remembering the maiden's words, Usagi scrambled toward the silver and red rose. Her only entrance to the world she loved so much.

Usagi hesitated for only a moment, a feeling of warmth enveloping her as she grasped the rose in her fingertips. It was odd, as if Mamoru was holding her in his arms. As Usagi held the rose closer, it grew warmer. Soon it was too hot to touch and the girl dropped it for fear of being burned.

As the rose touched the darkness, red lightning accosted Usagi's entire being. The girl cried out in pain, as it seemed to take away what little clarity was left in her vision.

In pain and hurt once more, Usagi dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Arrow of Purity!"

A white flash engulfed the area of the park, purifying everything. Once dead trees and other plant life grew back to their original state. The sky returned to its beautiful blue. Pools of blood dried, leaving only red marks where they were once located.

Jade grimaced as the light surrounded him. It burnt his flesh and cauterized his wounds within seconds. He cast a dirty look at Venus, whom had only begun to move. Jade didn't leave until his eyes began to burn. In horror, Jade teleported away to await the punishment for failure.

The strange white light spread across the park, continuing to heal all that touched it. Anything and any one person with a pure heart. Anju, Tomigu and Kade teleported away with only a few moments to spare.

From faraway stood Tuxedo Kamen, confused. _The Ginzuishou only possesses this power,_ he thought as he looked around at the cleansing light. _Is Usagi alive? _His heart leapt at the chance that his love might be alive. Although, it would be a very dim chance at that, for Tuxedo Kamen had seen Usagi die in his arms; as his sleeves were still stained with her blood.

Sailor Venus awoke with enough strength to get up. Her long blonde hair was straggled across her face, pulled into knots by the wind and matted with sweat. Venus' fuku was ripped in several places as well – her skirt ripped in the back, trailing in the wind with flailing edges.

Venus was in awe. _I'm still alive!_ She realized, _but was I healed? _

She gently moved her broken wrist to test its range of motion. Unfortunately, the wrist had not been healed. It cracked again in protest at the movement. Venus bit her lip to prevent from crying out in pain.

The girl had not been so lucky. With a sigh, Venus said to no one, "I must not have been good enough to die."

"You have failed me for the last time Anju!"

Before the dark queen, Anju crumpled to the ground. "My Lordess," she began, fighting back against the deathly blow, "give me one more chance. I killed Sailor Moon and her senshi. I did what you asked. My Lordess, I know that white light was not the Ginzuishou's power b-"

"Silence!" the evil Queen commanded. From the shadows, Haikumei looked unamused at Anju's babbling. "You did not kill Sailor Moon. Only the Ginzuishou possesses that power."

"My lordess, may I interrupt?" asked a new voice.

A figure stepped out from a bank of shadows. She was tall and lanky, wearing a red kimono. It was knee length with a low square collar and no sleeves. The figure's black hair was braided on her scalp by each strand and streaked with red.

"What is it Celestite?"

From the shadows, Celestite ran her fingertips over her clawlike nails. "Lordess Haikumei, that white light was not the Ginzuishou at all. It came from Sailor Moon's uninvited new friend."

"Who is this 'friend' of the girl?"

"I don't know," replied Celestite as she bowed.

Haikumei's eyes raged silver. "Find out who she is Celestite or you will be destroyed!"

Celestite rose from her bow, hair brushing into her eyes. "I will complete this task for you at one." As Celestite began to teleport away, Haikumei stopped her.

"Stay here Celestite," Haikumei told her. "You must witness the punishment for failure."

Anju was still kneeling on the ground, grimacing in pain. Celestite watched Anju squirm and smiled. Haikumei lifted her hand and darkness grew in her palm.

"You shall never fail me again, foolish Anju," said the evil woman. With a flick of her finger, Haikumei pierced Anju's chest with the black beam. From this she ripped her own soldier's heart out.

Blood splattered everywhere – red droplets striking Celestite's face as well as Haikumei's own. When the crimson struck Haikumei, it began to boil on her skin. Celestite only smiled further, unaffected.

Anju fell to the ground from her injuries. "Give me a second chance," she pleaded, her face dripping with blood. "My heart."

Haikumei's smile grew. "It now belongs to me." The evil queen took her soldier's heart in her hand – while it still was beating. "Celestite will be taking your place Anju, so you can rest in peace less dreams."

The heart throbbed one last time in Haikumei's palm, blood dripping down from it. Moments later Haikumei crushed Anju's heart in her palm, much like a piece of paper would be smashed in a closed fist.

Celestite bowed again to her queen as Anju's body turned to dust.

"You have seen the punishment," Haikumei told her. "Now do not fail me as Anju has."

"Yes, my Lady," replied Celestite. "I will finish what Anju has not."

(Minako's POV)

"Is anyone out there?" I shouted to no one. "Come on! Isn't there some other bastard waiting to attack?"

I sighed, letting the wind brush my hair over y eyes. The world felt horrifyingly alone, now that all my friends were dead…

"Come on Haikumei!" I cried to the sky. "Finish your job so that I can be at peace with my friends!" I choked back a sob, yet tears forced their way down my cheeks. "Finish your dirty job!"

There was no response. Jade was right. I am the only survivor…as always.

I shook as tears streamed down to dampen my face. I shook in anger, from horror and loss. Once again my mission to protect Usagi from all harm had failed. She had died because of me…used the Ginzuishou although she couldn't control it – to free me from Haikumei's control. "Damnit!" I shouted to the sky once again. "Why didn't she let me die! Her life meant so much more to the world than my own! Why did she have to be so kind?"

A hand rested itself on my shoulder. I turned around, angry,

Tuxedo Kamen took a step back when he saw my tear stained face. "Minako…it wasn't your fault."

I quickly wiped the tears away with one gloved hand. Putting on a less pathetic expression I said, "Usagi would have done the same for anyone else, yes I know. That fact doesn't make things any better."

"Minako, you wouldn't have been able to prevent Anju from infecting Usagi with that virus. That is what killed her, never any part of that battle fought."

"I don't know…I don't know if I can except that excuse…" I turned away, afraid I would cry again.

"It isn't an excuse, it is what happened," he reassured me.

I turned back to face him, preparing to tell Mamoru what I really felt, anger pushing away all other emotions. But I was unable to blow up…Mamoru's gaze stopped me from saying much else.

Mamoru's eyes seemed to show his sorrow. A rare sight to behold, his usually harsh cobalt eyes brimmed with tears. Usagi's blood stained his black pants, most of his left shoulder. Her blood still was splattered on his cheek, still glistening on his lips. Probably from their last kiss.

He stared at his hands, overcome with grief. They were stained with blood as well – his own, Usagi's, and Anju's. The wound on his arm still bled heavily from earlier, in dire need of stitches.

"Usagi always thought of others before herself," Mamoru said gently. "Her happiness comes from others' joy… always happy to serve other people – no matter what."

"Yes…" I agreed, "She was merciful in battle as well, even if it could mean death for her."

I cradled my broken wrist against my chest, protecting it from even the slightest movement. For a while, neither of us spoke. I found myself looking up, into the sky.

This was when I saw her – an angel from somewhere up above.

Author's notes:

I don't own sailor moon, promise. I don't own sailor moon, promise. I don't own sailor moon, promise. I don't own sailor moon, promise.

Anyway…

Sorry for the cliffhanger, couldn't help it!

-cloudiko


End file.
